Chapter One: Deja – Bloody – Vu

The reverberating silence was deafening. Nothing seemed to move, the fire did not crackle and play, the building did not shift of sigh, and the man behind the desk didn't blink. He seemed to be more statue than human, and with his Roman profile he could very well have been carved out of marble. His skin matched the rock in color and texture, cold and smooth was he. He had darkness throwing in contrast with his body. His high collared jacket and pants were sturdy cotton with many onyx buttons adding quiet detail and shine to his wardrobe. Over the morbid suit of black he wore billowing black robes that turned and swirled behind any of his movements, causing him to appear to swoop, not walk. His hair too was black, it was long and thick, but life it did not possess. The color was a deep, dead black and from years of poor maintenance a film hand developed over his entire head, causing it to hang limply down around his face. Like his hair, his eyebrows and lashes were thick and dark, they framed his two tar colored eyes. So minute were his movements that he appeared dead, but alive he was. Idleness and boredom had forced him into his own little world.

The fair quill lying limp in his willowy hand was covered in ink from where his fine motor skills had moved upon their own accord. The so – called hand writing that scrawled across the page was made more illegible by the wispy streaks and smudges that were resulted from the rapping of the pen. Now however his thoughts had completely overtaken him and he was still.

"Fuck." The clatter on the near – by stairs broke in on the silence and the man stirred. His senses had finally returned in full when he heard the voice of a woman using very un-ladylike language. Rising form his seat he headed for the case to see who was so salty. His expensive black leather shoes made no sound as he crossed his office and corridor. There, trapped in the disappearing stair was a woman. She was stretching and swearing, trying to reach her wand that was rolling back and forth tauntingly at finger tip range. One slim hand extended and fingers brushed against it, sending the thin ebony wood rolling down the rest of the case. A few steps away was an old book of theology, the pages were cracked and yellowing and everything about it was worn. He grabbed the dark twig and text, he then moved up the steps to aid the woman. She had stopped struggling and was now looking at him through slightly skewed glasses; her eyes were brown and intelligent looking and seemed to smile at him in a very familiar way. She took his offered hand with out word and he pulled her out of the step. She got completely to her feet and straightened out her clothes. Even with her dainty high – heeled boots she was still about seven centimeters1 shorter than himself. Her auburn hair was twisted into a palate, and she wore no ring on her wedding finger.

"Evelyn Blair. Thank you." She said extending her hand, he took it and was surprised at the confidence in her grip.

"Snape. Severus Snape. You're welcome." He replied, they retracted their hands, and he gave her back the things she had lost in her fall. She was smiling a very toothy slightly yellow, uneven grin and her dark eyes glinted in a playful dance.

What is she smiling about? He wondered.

"I guess I was lucky, you're the only member of the faculty I haven't met. Twisted convenience that I get clumsy in your realm. The daughters of necessity2 must delight in playing with us." For some reason he didn't believe her, and did she just read my mind?

"Teach high school, the senses you gain, you'd be amazed." She had in fact read his mind, and was continuing to do so. Yet for some reason he wasn't put ill at ease by this, in truth he had never felt more relaxed by a stranger. For some reason he felt as if he knew her, and not only that, but known her well.

"Care for a cup of tea?" he inquired.

"I've got something stronger in my office, if you'd rather." She replied. Her offer was more tempting and so together they headed off to her chambers. As they walked he asked,

"What brought you to my part of the castle? Surly not just to get stuck and meet me." Evelyn laughed throatily, sounding somewhat like a sick animal.

"No, that was a perk. I was actually looking the friar, I needed some theological help. I heard he was with the Baron." They lapsed into silence as they continued their climb. They only had three more flights to go.

Finally they reached her office. It was off the fifth floor mythology classroom3. Although quite disheveled it was still a nice place with a thick carpet and rich wood work. She moved boxes off of a chair and told him to "Sit, sit." Then she dug around in another box until she found what she was looking for. In her resurfacing hand she held two brown bottles of beer. Evelyn handed him one and took her seat on the only open spot on her desk.

"So." She said giving him a head to toe look over the end of her beer bottle. "You're the potions master, right?"

"I guess that's the arrogant term for what I am. But yes, I do potions." Severus replied, wondering how extensive her mind reading power was.

"Don't worry, I really can't read your mind. But I'm a damn good guesser." She chuckled again. "Seriously. I still remember the way to boarding land. And Albus assured me that nothing much had changed since I was here."

"Your professor that interesting?" Severus asked,

"Took his recipes from Shakespeare. I got so many detentions from that class… Now I'm on the giving end of those things." Her account of the previous potions master was similar to how he would describe his own.

"And how long have you been giving detentions?" Severus inquired.

"Since the Gods walked among the men. You?" Was Evelyn's response.

"About the same." Over the end of his bottle he examined her. She was a handsome woman, with a square jaw and rounded nose. Although he knew full well the hypocrisy of his judging someone solely on physical appearance.

The two conversed until midnight when, a bit sadly, he forced himself to go.

Severus made his way down to his "lair" sweeping along like an overgrown bat. He changed into his night clothes and crawled into bed. Sleep did not follow him. He was swimming in feelings of Deja - vu. For some reason his body knew the woman, but his mind couldn't place her. After a fruitless hour, he vowed to solve the problem the next day and fell into a restless sleep. When he woke, he still did not know his colleague.

Severus Roberto Snape was a creature of habit, he was out of bed by 7:15, he was dressed by 7:30, earl grey tea with lemon and eggs at 7:45. However in the summer he couldn't occupy his usual seat in the great hall, the only way to get food during the vacation was to go to the kitchens directly. The moment he set foot through the pear shaped door a disgusting stench hit him. Besides the multitude of house elves there was only Evelyn, sitting cross-legged on one of the house tables. She was reading the comic section out of the morning's Daily Prophet. In her hand was a large mug of black with gold letters reading, Coffee, alcohol, and men…best when strong. The odor seamed like it was to suffocate him.

"What burnt?" he asked, her head popped up and sniffed the air.

"I don't smell anything." She said, he leered at the mug, it contained pitch black sludge. The smell was radiating from it.

"What's that?" he asked wrinkling his nose and nodding towards the cup.

"Coffee." He raised an eyebrow. "Ya' know, makes you do stupid stuff faster and with more energy." She smiled a pretty smile, the kind that made him grin and bear the odor as he waited for his breakfast.

Later that morning Severus was found yet again tapping his quill idly, staring down at nothing really. How could he identify her? It was driving him mad, not knowing. Did he once teach her, good God was he that old? A student now a colleague. It could happen, his first two years of teaching he had some students that he shared a dorm with. So maybe she was. But her description… he shook his head; he was a teacher of one subject. He wasn't a friend and it wasn't his fault if someone didn't like his class. He knew he didn't take his recipes from Shakespeare, but maybe Shakespeare took his recipes from him. She still could've been a student. He stalked to the library and walked directly to the "teacher's" section. Madam Pince was not there, so he was not going to be disturbed.

The student list, one would think that the best way to organize it would be alphabetically, but this logic was not found in Hogwarts. No, the students were divided by decade. So with slim hands Severus pulled out the 1980 – 1989 volume. At least this was alphabetized. He thumbed through it, until he found the "B's" there were no Evelyn Blair, but there was a card. It was a tarot card, form the major deck. The Hermit. Now what was that doing there? He replaced the book to the shelf, but kept the card. He turned it over in his hands, there were no markings on the back, no markings on the front, it was just the card. He began to walk back to his chambers, the card still in his hand. What did it mean? His mind bused with questions as he swept along. It was remarkable what a mental stir a bit of cardstock could cause. It was amazing how he could find his way, with out thinking; he knew this place better than he knew his own reflection. He was at his door already.

The sofa made an angry sigh as he threw himself upon it. He closed his eyes, and then opened them, the tunnels falling upon a cabinet. His pensive, why didn't he think of that first, if Evelyn was in his past, she would be in his pensive. He got up and crossed the room, and retrieved the stone basin. Under it was another card, again with the Hermit. Someone was toying with him; he could feel the hair on the back of his neck prickle. He returned to the couch and looked into the bowl. The clouds of his past shifted as if blown by wind. He stared, not blinking for a full minute. Slowly, ever so slowly a picture came.

"Goddamn it Peeves!" a girl of about sixteen swore at the bouncing poltergeist who was cackling in pure delight. The deranged little man was floating in a taunting manor just out of the girl's reach. She swung her arms and cursed some more but she couldn't reach him, so her oaths could not be acted upon. Her long brown hair was tied hap - hazardly to a suit of armor. Her head was in a painful position. Severus walked forward, and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, then began to untie her hair. Once the last strand of chocolate was free he returned her wand. She looked at him, her face in a great full smile; she then rounded on the menace, who disappeared with a pop.

So he did know her! She was a classmate, and by the contents of his rumination they had been friend, or lovers. That was to be determined by how he had handled her locks. She was his age, and he hadn't examined her robes well, but they were that of a Hufflepuff's, he didn't catch the badge, but she did have one. Well, he thought, a classmate, no wonder she was so familiar, and this explains how she didn't manage to loose herself getting to the kitchens. A thought also occurred to him, she would be in the annual, he could confirm what he thought. Rising, he hurried to return to the library.

The annuals were there, all in their purple and gold glory, just to the left of the class lists. He grabbed the appropriate book, and sat down at a near by table to find her. He wasn't much for sentimental journeys, his life was hardly an enjoyable one, his childhood was not a happy one, but occasionally he did stop to take a better look at some of the photos in the book. Like his own picture, he looked the same as he did now, although at present he was not in the school Qudditch uniform. In the photo he was merely looking at the camera, his body in an uncomfortable, unnatural position, his bat was shifting a bit, his arm tired of it. Yes he had been a beater, those had been decent days, practice was always exhilarating. He turned the next two pages with out looking at them, they were the Gryffindor pages, and he did not wish to see them. Finally! The Hufflepuff section. Blair, Evelyn. The picture over the name was that of a pretty girl, a beautiful grin playing at her lips as she waved and laughed at the camera, like it was a dear friend. Yes this was Evelyn, and Evelyn was the one in his pensive. There was another card here as well; he didn't even have to look at it to know it. Someone knew exactly what he was going to do, and was a step ahead of him…

Evelyn had recognized him as soon as she saw his name. She wasn't surprised that he didn't recognize her, nevertheless it was still sad. But nineteen years had taken their toll on them both and life was not the same. Evelyn was proud of the self – control she exercised when she saw him. She didn't war whoop. She didn't tackle him. It was kind of fun meeting him a new, although she missed her Sevvie – Kins deeply. All that night she watched his face, he was struggling with the maddening effects of déjà vu. Evelyn gambled that he would do some snooping until he received a satisfying answer. She wouldn't personally give up the goods, but maybe a few well placed cards could. The first stop was the annuals and class lists, her own and some eighties. Evelyn only marked the eighties to see just how immature she was. This was a bigger gamble than the idea of him looking her up.

Getting to the books was easy, the crone Madam Pence wasn't there so Evelyn was undisturbed as she found her way to the minute "Teacher's section." She placed a card in the 1980 class list, and then turned to the 1978 annual, her annual. She would've loved to spend all day in nostalgic bliss, but she was on a time crunch, at any second Severus could appear, and the jig would be up. She marked her page and returned the book to its shelf.

She was standing at his chamber door, she knew he was not in, there was no sign of life with in the walls, where her ear was pressed. Slowly she raised her wand, "Maestro Cogliere." the door swung open. Hurriedly she entered and closed the door. His chambers were very different from her own, but equally impressive. It had a domed ceiling, just as the classroom did; in common also was the texture of the walls, Latin inscriptions, and windows. She wanted to examine the room closer, but this too was a timed ordeal, Severus could return and there were no good places to hide. So she quickly located the cupboard which he kept his pensive and slipped the card underneath it. As she closed the door for her exit she made a mental note the mock his "batcher – librarian" pad. There had been shelves and books everywhere, handsome leather furniture and everything in Slytherin colors. (No, he's not biased.) She made her way back up to her rooms, where she could plot her next move; she didn't know how long it would be before he caught on. Eight flights of stairs latter Evelyn was at her door, a bit winded. She entered her room and sat down on the bed, all she had to do now was waiting…

He hadn't seen Evelyn in seventeen years. Seventeen long years, so many things had changed. He wondered if they could be the same. He hope so, those had been happy times. But he was getting ahead of himself; he first had to speak to her. Not as he had before, but as Evelyn, let her know he had pulled his head out of his ass and turned the light on. But how? Logically, although a bit intimidating was just to go to her room and knock on the door. But for some reason he didn't like that option, it was so weird he was frightened of an old friend. He looked at his clock, it was 4:30, maybe they could go for a walk or something, dinner perhaps. But that was like a date, his younger self would be gagging, but Severus was no longer that boy.

It took Severus some time finding her door, he never had actually scene it before, but eventually he found it. Was he supposed to knock on a tapestry? He didn't think so. But then what was his option?

"Maestro Cogliere." He said the tapestry rolled up like he had just uttered the password. He raised a hand and knocked on the carved wooden door.

"Coming!" her voice rang out from behind it, slightly muffled. She opened the door and smiled, he smiled back, and before he knew it she was in his arms giving him a gigantic hug and a match set of wet kisses for his cheeks. He held her rather awkwardly, unsure of it all; no one had really done this to him, especially a thirty - four year old. When she finally released him she was beaming and he felt a bit pink.

"Come in, come in." she said waving for his follow, but he stopped and mentally adjusted before speaking.

"I was actually thinking about going to Hogsmead, getting a bite to eat…" she paused, and then nodded.

"As long as we see Madam Rosmerta." She said, closing the door and tapestry.

"We have to, incase you've forgotten, let me remind you that's the only place to eat in town." They began to walk and he didn't miss the fact that they seamed to naturally fall into place with on another, like no time had passed. But time had marched on, and the two were now out of sync with life events. He knew she wasn't married, if she was he would've already done the dumb female praise. But did she have a boyfriend? How were her sisters? What had she done with her life? There were many questions that needed answers. At lest from her, there were answers with in him, but some he didn't want to share. The hurried down the six flights of stairs and stepped out into the afternoon sun.

"Severus?" she said, they had been silent for almost ten minutes. "So Severus, what have you done with yourself since we last met?" She had asked one of those questions that he didn't want to answer. How could he tell her that he was a former death eater, and now a cranky and tyrannical teacher?

"Um, err." It wasn't a very good beginning. "Oh look a chicken." He said, pointing randomly. She laughed and chucked at his arm.

"Seriously, what have you been doing?"

"Well, I started teaching in the eighties; I've now taught both parents and children. I fell very old. I'm head of Slytherin House now, have been for a while. And that's about it; I've been positively boring for the last nineteen years. How 'bout you?" He looked over at her and smiled, he was always able to smile with her. She knew he wasn't telling the truth. It saddened her, but she knew better than to rush him. He would tell her eventually.

"I feel just as old as you do, if not more so." Severus laughed, and they commentated strolling, by this time they were at the skirts of town, almost to the Three Broomsticks.

"Evelyn Blair! As I live and breathe." Madame Rosmerta said when Severus and Evelyn entered her establishment; there were only a table full of people present, given the early hour and holiday. Evelyn hugged the woman beaming once again. "Turn around, let me have a look at you girl." Rosmerta chirped happily at seeing her old patron. Severus felt a bit in the way, he only ate here once or twice a year, not like he use to.

"And Severus." It was a lot more comfortable when he was a wall flower, he soon realized as Rosmerta began on him as well, it took them ten minutes to get a seat, and over two hours to leave, the need for gossip had to be satisfied. But finally they were allowed to pay their bill and leave.

"I forgot how much you eat." He joked as they began their walk back the castle.

"And I forgot how much you don't. Sev, that really isn't healthy, you're rather skinny." She said he could hear the maternal goodness yet to come.

"Okay mom." He said, looking over to Evelyn. She bit her thumb, subsequently flipping him off. He chuckled. It was good to have her back.

A/N: I intended for Severus' middle name to be Intricato, an Italian word meaning complicated, complex. But I had a dream (a very fucked up one) and in it I had to/ did change the name to Robert. I don't know. So I made it Roberto and satisfied two masters. The mythology room floor is a guess, I don't know if they even offer myths as a topic.

1 Total six inches (roughly).

2 The fates.

3 Not canon.